The Republican journal., 1887-08-11
Maine Matters.

NEWS AND GOSSIP FROM ALL OVER THE STATE
THE SEBAsTICouK AND MOOsEIIEAD II. Il.
The Pittsticld Advertiser of Aug. 4tl saws
Railroad matters in reference to the various
proposed lines to connect the Maine Central
with Moosehead Lake are at present in rather
complicated condition. as viewed by the pub
lie at large.
James Mitchell, the contractor who built the
road to llartland, has declared that the Maine
Central SIS going to have Il line OF its own
from Bar 1Iarbor to the Lake within year."
Moreover, Mr.. Mitchell has been in Dover
within few days making inquiries in regard
to the plans and specifications of the surveys of
three different routes located several wears ago
between Dover and Dexter. He says the road
can he extended easily enough after the difficult
ties of once getting out of Dexter shall have
been Surmounted. The land damages. It is
said, will be considerable.
1nasmuch as Mr.. Mitchell has been so prom
incntly connected with the Hartand railroad,
the fact that he should be working up the DeX-
ter route ostensibly in the interests of the
Maine Central. who on their part are stock
holders in the IIartland road, creates no little
speculation as to what the contemplated deal
may be. 1t really looks like an attempt at bluff.
OF course a line from Dexter to the Lake would
render impossible further construction of the
:. NJ. railroad.
1t is said that the S. Il NJ. officials and those
of the Monson railroad have been somewhat at
variance. caused by the refusal of llartland to
allow the road to be mortgaged. But the S 4.
NJ and MOnson folks are now working in uni
son to get the road through.
There is little doubt that if the road Is to be
built through via. Hartland, things must come
to a head pretty soon. II some definite con-
cluson is not reached in the next few weeks
the future of the S. Il NJ. road will be seriously
imperiled. With the Sebastcook 4 Moosehead
company it seems to be do or die. Their cap
ability to do the former, or their willingness to
do the latter remains to be seen.
THE MAINE CENTRAL AND TIE INTERSTATE
LAWS.
Some of the newspapers and not few
business men. has severely criticised the action
of railroad companies whose lines are entirely
within the limits of one State-lke the Maine
Ccntral-in adopting the rules of the inter-
state roads to meet the requirements of the
new law. \ little reflection will convince
these critics that, while a railroad may be a
state line SO far as its tracks are concerned. As
regards its traffic and business 1t is as much an
Interstate institution as if its rails crossed
dozen states. Furthermore, it is an absolute
necessity that all important roads should have
uniform system of transportation rules and
regulations. The matter has been finally set at
rest. however, by Il recent decision of the
Commission, which states that railroad >ituat-
ed entirely within one state is subject, never
thcIess, to the jurisdiction of the Commission
if it makes rates and issues bills of la,ing over
connecting roads to points outside the state.
The Commission has also notified the railroads
that through rates to foreign ports. made in
made public and filed with the Commission in
the same manner as other rates. THE In
dustral journal.
CASE WHERE IGNORANCE WAS BLISS.
The late Lot NJ. Morrill,. ex-senator from
Maine, once told HE queer story illustrating
the illcgibility of his own handwriting. SAYS a
New ork Times correspondent. 1t was at
the time when Major Dunn of the army was
paving attention to the Senator's daughter
Ing. but Miss Morrill, thought that papa's con-
sent ought to be obtained before they proceed
ed further. Ma jOr Dunn wrote nice letter to
papa" in which he requested that the future
of the young lady might be contided to his
care Senator Morrill, could cad the signature,
to him. He OWNED its contents, however. and
at once wrote reply. in which the desired
consent was given. Dunn took it to his lady
love, with the remark: 'Iiere's your fathers
letter.. "What does it say" eagerly inquired
the lady. II have been trying to find out ever
can't make nothing out of it." Miss Morrill,
tried to read the note. but she too. failed.
Never mind," said the lover, 1--WE will get
married anyhow And they were married.
Mrs. Dunn has both these letters framed. She
says there Is not person on earth who can
read either of them.
RIVER AND HAHBoR IMPROVEMENTS.
Major j. a. Smith, United States Engineer
in charge of the works of improvement upon
the Maine coast. submits the following e>ti-
mates for expenditures necessary during the
coming fiscal year: Luhcc channel. $4,000:
for widening and dredging Narrayuayll> river,
$4,000; PcnohSrot river. for widening oppo-
site Bangor and removing distractions at
Crosby's NarrowS. $4,000; Rocklanh harbor.
Sloo,Ooo; Portland harbor, S1O5.OOO; channel
in Back Bay, Portland harbor. $150OO; Saco
harbor. 100000; brcakWater, mouth of Saco
river. Slo0.00: York river. S50.000. Major
Smith submits no estimate for the coming
fiscal year for MooSe-G-bec, though he rcconl-
menls Improvements, whose total cost will be
Sll0oo0. The amount of commerce to be
benefited he says is large
NOT UP To THE STANDARD.
Gardiner is Names boaStel banner town as
regards general progresSiyencSS. if not rather
keeping ahead of the times, says Il press dcs-
patch. 1t capped the climax of rabid con-
servatism recently by an attempted cele
hration in honor of the new ''local" town
clock. When the city clock was set on stand
ard time, in compliance with the law passed at
the last Legislature, few dsSrunted citizens
started Il subscription paper for the purpose of
establishing a new clock to be placed in the
Methodist church befry, and run on the
called ''locar' time. Being now completed, it
is proposed to add to the existing confusion by
ringing the church bell morning. noon and
night Oh this time.
THE CHEAPEST THING IN MAINE.
\ Bostonian, who makes practice of SPEND
ing his summers in Maine, recently said. 1.-THE
cheapest thing i'll Maine is livery turnout. |
can hire a team in Maine to 90 six miles for
= %, or can get carried II miles for -, or at
the worst for $500 In Boston. if one wants
to drive out to Brooklinc, about three miles
distant, one has to pay, at least, So: and in
winter, when the sleghing is good anywhere
from 81 to $40 is reasonable figure. OF course
the supply is greater in Maine and the demand
less, but then horses in Maine probably eat as
drives themselves in the Pine Tree state are
far more beautiful. Boston Herald.
PAYsoN TUCKER'S LATEST.
line of the Maine Central faster than the YES
tibule train. One of the Italians employed on
the Megantic, finding macaroni and Il dollar
and a half more than offset by work, mosqui-
toes and black flies, skedadlled to Portland.
where in the hope of arousing sympathy and
Mr.. Tucker and said: "What you call them
people who have no father and no mother?"
''Son-of-a-gun," promptly responds Mr.. Tuck
cr That's me, that's me-" reiterated the
ltallan. Portland PrcSS.
AN EARLY BAR HARBoR SEASON.
The Bangor Historical Magazine has found
in Harvard College library an old petition to
Coy. Barnard, beginning: 'We the inhabitants
of mount desart lIumby Graves your EXelen-
cy's Protection against the In-Crossins of the
Naborng inhabents made upon us Consuming
hay for we cannot git hay on ye island to keep
our Stoks, other People Cut the hay before it
gifts its groth so that they Spoil the marsh 4 if
we Cut Il hay stack it for Sedng it is Stole so
that we cannot have We Privilege of the marsh
that we have Cleared Rodes too"
THE OUNCE OF PREVENTION.
Water works are usually considered good
thing for city, but sometimes they may not
be. Thus in Exeter, n. H., where works have
recently been put in, the water proves to be
unfit for use. The Belfast works are to be
built by the same company that built the Exc
ter works, and the supply is to be taken from
Il similar source, and the Belfast journal seems
the quality of the water before the works are
put in. Gardiner Home Journal.
THE APPLE CROP.
The business of exporting apples from Maine
to England which has fourished SO well in
other years, will be likely to prove Il failure
this season. Mr.. u. A. Gilbert, Secretary of
the State Board of Agriculture, said, Saturday,
that the fruit crop of the State would be en-
trcmely light, less than a third of last year.
lhe prospect is looking worse every day, the
fruit set suffering from insect pests. Yet, he
says. Names outlook is better than that of
any other New England State.